Westcon Pavers Residential Installation Guide

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Make your home a more beautiful place to live with the texture, pattern and color of Westcon pavers. You can personalize any outdoor area. Westcon pavers are locally available in a variety of warm colors.

PLANNING

1. Draw a diagram of the area you wish to pave.
2. Verify the location of all underground utilities.
3. Choose the paver type, color and laying pattern.
4. If possible, vary the dimensions or layout to take advantage of as many edge pavers as possible.
5. Check the subgrade conditions to determine if a gravel base is required. The chart in this guide will assist this determinations.
6. The area to be paved must be well drained. A minimum slope of 10mm per meter (1/8" per foot) is recommended.
7. Determine the area where all materials (pavers, sand, gravel) will be placed. These delivery trucks will be heavy so arrange the location where they will not harm lawns or other paving.
8. The recommended tools are: a coarse bristled broom, hammer, tape measure, level, string line, shovel, rake, wheelbarrow and material for screeds and screed guides. A paver cutter and plate compactor are also required and can be obtained from an equipment rental shop.

BASE PREPARATION

1. Excavate all surplus and unsuitable material in an area 150mm (6 in) beyond the area to be paved. If no base is required the depth should be 90mm (3 1/2 in) below finished grade for 60mm (2 3/8 in) pavers. If a base is to be used this level will then be the top of the compacted base.
2. Compact the subgrade to a density sufficient to carry the anticipated traffic.
3. Place the base gravel in layers not exceeding 150mm (6 in) and compact to the design density.
4. Shape the base to proper levels and contour for the finished job. The finished surface will follow closely the profile of the base so extra care at this stage will ensure a good finished surface.

EDGE RESTRAINTS

1. The edge of segmental concrete paving must be restrained to prevent the movement of the edge pavers. This edge restraint can be compacted earth, wood, plastic edging, concrete or an existing structure.
2. The compacted base should extend to the rear face of all edge restraints.
   

MINIMUM RECOMMENDED COMPACTED BASE THICKNESS
FOR RESIDENTIAL APPLICATIONS

SAND BEDDING

1. The sand used for bedding should meet the grading for concrete sand. Allow 1 cu yard of bedding sand for every 150 sq feet of paving.
2. The levels for the bedding sand are set with string lines stretched between the edge restraints.

3. These levels must be adjusted to include a surcharge equal to the amount the sand will compact down when the paving is vibrated.
   

4. Screed guides are laid under the string lines to the predetermined level.
5. Spread the sand between the screed guides.
6. Using a rigid, straight 2 x 4 which spans between the screed guides, screed the sand to a smooth even surface.
7. Remove the screed guides and fill the grooves left from the removal of the screed guides.
8. Do not walk on the sand bedding after screeding.

PAVER DELIVERY

1. Calculate the total area of paving to be done and measure the amount of edge where standard edge pieces can be used.
2. If pavers will be cut some extra pavers should be ordered to allow for waste. Allow about 20-25 sq. feet for every 100 lineal feet of cut edge.
3. Pavers are delivered to the site in bundles of approximately 100 sq. feet. Place the bundles where they will be readily accessible as the work proceeds.
4. Your supplier of Westcon paving will assist in calculating the amount of regular and edge pieces required for the job.

PAVER INSTALLATION

1. Decide on the alignment of the paving and select a starting point. Generally the pattern will be aligned along the direction of the driveway, or parallel to a wall or edge restraint.
   

2. To ensure the first pavers are placed correctly and that large gaps do not open up as laying proceeds, the area should be squared using a 3,4,5 triangle.
   

3. Existing edge restraints are often not square enough to lay the pavers to and a point must be selected slightly away (about half a paver) from the restraint and a string line used to set out the alignment.
4. Positioning the first few rows of pavers requires care and should be checked for alignment and joint width. The recommended joint width is 1/8".
5. Walk only on pavers that have already been laid.
6. Check alignment with a string line and if necessary ease pavers into position with a screwdriver.

LAYING PATTERNS

The possible laying patterns are a function of paver shape. Some of the more common patterns are shown above.

CUTTING PAVERS

1. It is important to maintain a straight even cut line. It is usually better to have a slightly larger joint at the cut line than to try to fit too tightly.
2. If possible do not use pieces smaller than 25% of a full paver.
3. Cutting can be done with a guillotine cutter or with a masonry saw. Both these are available at equipment rental shops.

COMPACTION

1. Sweep the surface of the pavers.
2. Compact the pavers with two or three passes of the plate compactor.
3. Apply the jointing sand and sweep it into the joints. The gradation of the jointing sand should meet the requirements for mortar sand. Approximately one cubic foot jointing sand will be required for each 100 sq. feet of paving with standard joints.
4. Vibrate the sand into the joints, continue adding sand and vibrating until the joints are completely full. Additional sand may have to be added after the pavement has been in use.

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